Rotary engine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.,

, S` WESTPALL,

ROTARY ENGINE.

`laxmmd Mar. 8, 1892;..

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@Nits rares SAMUEL NVESTFALL, OF THAYER, MISSOURI.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION .forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,405, dated March8, 1892.

Application filed May 25, 1891.

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, SAMUEL WEsTFALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Thayer, in the county of Oregon and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new-and useful Rotary Engine, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to .rotary engines; and it has forits object toprovide a machine of this class which shall be simple in con Vstructionand by the use of which the greatest amount of power may be derived inpro portion to the consumption of steam.

The invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, andcombination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, andparticularly pointed .out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a side view of a rotaryengine constructed in accordance with my invention, lthe near side ofthe casing having been removed to expose the interior construction. Fig.2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.' Fig. 4 -isa perspectivedetail view of theparts constituting one of the sliding self-packingpistons. Y

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the iigures.

The Casing of my improved rotary engine is oblong in shape andis'provided with bearings for the transverse shafts 1 1, upon which thecylinders 2 2 are mounted. Although described as cylinders,7 the parts 22 are not, preferably, cylindrical in shape, but consist of star-shapedwheels, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, theprojecting arms 3 3 of said wheels being rounded, so as to engage orm'esh with each other like-a pair of cog-wheels. The shape of theseso-called cylindei-S, however, may be modified in numerous ways withoutdeparting from my invention. `In describing my invention, however, Ishall refer particularly to the construction showu in Figs. 1 to 4,inclusive.

The casing of the engine is provided at one side with ports or openings4 for the admission of steam, and the bottom of the casing has a recess5, constituting the steam-chest,

and provided with a central ridge 6 and with Serial No. 395,978. (Numodel.)

pockets or concavities 7, which equalize the steam between the last twopistons that have just left the steam-chest and the pressure in thechest itself, the purpose of which will be hereinafter furtherdescribed. The upper outer corners of the casing are provided witheccentric recesses 8 to admit of the expansive action of the steam. Theupper portion of the casing has the exhaust-chamber 9 and exhaustport10. The sides of the casing, at both sides of the exhaust-chamber, havethe depending lips 11, which are concentric with the Ashafts 1 1 andwhich serve to guide the radially-sliding pistons in the latter, as willbe hereinafter described. The portions of the casing between thesteamchest 5 and the eccentric News s-S-.ale concentric with the shafts1 1. Between the lips .11 is hinged a guide 12b to guide theradially-sliding pistons over thesharp point of contact upon ieavingsaid depending` lips.

The arms 3 3 of the cylinders are provided with transverse slots 12 attheir outer ends, l

' said slots and which are provided near their outer ends with shoulders14. Recesses, as l5, are also formed in the sides of the arms at theouter ends of the latter. In each of the slots 12 is fitted a compoundpiston composed of two plates 16, each of which is provided at its inner'end with a slot 17 to accommodate a rib 18, which is formed in thenieeti'g face of the opposing-plate. The said plates are provided withinwardly-extending arms 19, extending into the recesses 13 and providedwith heads 20 at their inner ends to engage the shoulders 14, so as toprevent the coinpound pistons from being forced out of their seats inthe arms of the cylinders. The outer edges of the plates 16 are providedwith flanges 21 on their outer sides to overlap the outer ends of thearms 3, in which they are seated, and at their outer corners the saidplates are provided with lugs 22, fitted to the recesses 15. The saidlugs, as well as the flanges 21, are curved or rounded, so as to engagethe in-ner Wall of the engine casing and to form a smooth bearingagainst the latter. Cylindrical sockets or recesses 23 are formed in thearms 3 at the bottoms of the slots IOO to accommodate 'coiled spring 24,whereby'the compound pistons are forced outward against the walls of thecasing. Each of the arms 3 of the cylinders is provided in the sidefacing the steam-entrance with a perforation 25, communicating'with theinner end of the slot 12, so as to admit steam for the purpose offorcing the compound pistons outwardly, and thus providing tight joints.The springs 24 may be arranged differently from the manner hereindescribed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The bottom of the casing is provided with auxiliary steam ports orentrances 26, which are connected by passages 27 with the eccentricrecesses 8. The latter, as above stated, are provided, essentially, forthe purpose of admitting of the expansion of the steam; but

live steam may, when desired, be supplied through the ports 26 andpassages 27 when it shall be desired to gain extra power for the purposeof starting the engine or when the load to be driven is un usuallyheavy. An auxiliary port 4b, worked by a try-cock, is located below theport 4 to be used when the side ports are not used.

In operation the compound pistons will be forced by the action of thesprings in an outward direction, so that the iianges at their. outerends shall be normally in Contact with the walls of the casing. Vhensteam is admitted to the steamchcst,- it will expand l against thepist-ons which are in contact with the ridge'and with the concentricportion of the casing between the steam-chest and the I. recesses 8, andthe cylinders will thus be rovllated in opposite directions. The pocketsor recesses 5 will admit of the passage of steam y to the pistons whichare in cont-act with the eccentric portions of the casing, while otherlvpistons are in engagement with the ridge 6. Additional power will begai-ned by the steam expanding in the eccentric recesses 8, and thesteam is iinally exhausted through the chamber 9 and port 10, while thepistons are forced back into the recesses in the respective arms by thelips 11 atthe sides of the exhaust-l chamber.

It is preferred to provide the shafts 1 l outside the Lcasing of the'engine with gears or spur-wheels, as shown at 30 in Fig. 3 of thedrawings, for the purpose of insuring an even and steady motion, andpower may be taken from the said shafts in any suitable and wellknownmanner.

By making such modifications in the construction of the casing as willreadily suggest themselves to those :familiar with the art my improvedengine may be made reversible; but I have not deemed it necessary toillustrate such modification in the drawings hereto anneXed.

In any construction of my improved engine it is obvious that theradially-sliding pistons will be forced in an outward direction and heldin contact with the walls of the casing, not. only by the action of thespring provided for the purpose, but also by the action of centrifugalforce when the engine is in operation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States- 1. In a rotary engine, thecombination, with the casing, of the revoluble cylinders-having radialarms or cogs meshing with each other, said arms being provided withradially-sliding piston-plates mounted in recesses formed in said arms,substantially as set forth.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination of the casing, the revolublecylinders or starwheels having radial recesses, and the compoundpiston-plates seated in said recesses and adapted to engage the walls ofthe casing, substantially as set forth.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination of the casing having thesteam-ports 4, the steamchest 5, the transverse ridge 6, theexpansionrecesses S, the pockets 7, the exhaust-chamber 9, and port 10,and the depending lips 11 vwith the revolving star-wheels or cylindershaving the radially-slidin g compound pistons and the springs to forcethe latter in an outward direction, substantially as set'forth.

4. In a rotary engine of the class described, the combination of thecylinders having trans# verse slots 12, recesses 13, provided withshoulders 14, and recesses 15, with the compound pistons composed of theplates'l, having slots 17, ribs 18, arms 19, provided with heads 20flanges 2l, and lugs 22, and springs `arranged to force the saidcompound pistons in-an outward direct-ion, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination of the casing having thesteam-ports 4, the steamchest 5, the transverse ridge 6, theexpansionrecesses S, the pockets 7, the exhaust-chamber 9, and port 10,andthe depending lips 11 with the revolving star-wheels or cylindershaving the radially-sliding compound pistons, the springs to force thelatter in an outward direction, and the guide 12b, h-inged between thelips 11, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL vWES'IYFALL.

\Vitnesses:

G. M. DURsT, FRANK W. NI'BLACK.

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